Biographies & Memoirs - Books

My Double Life

Biographies & Memoirs

The great French stage and silent film actress Sarah Bernhardt recounts her life in the theater and her travels throughout the world in this memoir, published in 1907 with many portraits and illustrations.

Ladies of Spain

Biographies & Memoirs

Por el biógrafo de lady Diana, princesa de Gales Cuatro damas. Cuatro ladies. Cuatro mujeres. Cuatro caracteres. Cuatro historias distintas entrelazadas entre sí. El salto de la reina Sofía a doña Letizia no es solo un cambio generacional, sino una historia de dolorosa transición: desde los valores aristocráticos del deber, la obligación y el sacrificio hasta una nueva generación donde el amor y la felicidad personal conviven dentro de la jaula de oro de la realeza. Esta es la historia más reciente de la familia real española, al igual que de otras dinastías europeas. Unas dinastías donde una nueva generación de plebeyos, desde Letizia Ortiz hasta Catalina Middleton en Inglaterra, ha cambiado la naturaleza de dichas monarquías. Un cambio que Andrew Morton analiza con personal perspicacia: ¿ha resultado ser el experimento una maldición o un consuelo para unas familias reales permanentemente acechadas por la controversia? Cuando el príncipe Felipe contrajo matrimonio con Letizia Ortiz se produjo una revolución en palacio. Pero en pocos años, la princesa de Asturias ha pasado a ser considerada la potencial salvadora de la casa de Borbón, inmersa en los escándalos. En una historia de fascinantes giros y sobresaltos, la vida, los amores y los desamores de las cuatro grandes damas de la monarquía española ponen de manifiesto la evolución histórica tanto de la familia real como de la propia nación española. EL AUTOR Andrew Morton es con toda probabilidad el más afamado biógrafo de celebridades de nuestra generación. A lo largo de sus treinta años como profesional, ha escrito más de veinte libros en los que ha delineado magistralmente la semblanza de grandes estrellas, como la princesa Diana, Madonna, Monica Lewinski, los Beckam, Tom Cruise o Angelina Jolie, y que han figurado en las listas de los más vendidos según The New York Times. Morton, más conocido como el «rey de los biógrafos de los famosos», alcanzó el éxito de la noche a la mañana con la publicación en 1992 de Diana: su verdadera historia, la biografía que revelaba el mundo secreto de la desaparecida Diana de Gales. El libro tuvo una enorme repercusión, se tradujo a treinta y cinco idiomas, fue un éxito de ventas en todo el mundo y dio pie a películas, documentales y todo tipo de comentarios acerca de la familia real británica, que modificaron para siempre la percepción de esa antigua institución por parte del público. Solo tras la trágica muerte de Diana, acaecida en 1997, Morton pudo revelar que su explosiva biografía había sido escrita con la total y estrecha colaboración de la princesa de Gales. Diana: su verdadera historia no solo llegó al número uno de la lista de ventas de The New York Times, sino que también cosechó numerosos premios para su autor, como el de Autor del Año de los British Book Awards, el de Periodista de Investigación del Año del programa de radio What the papers say y el de la Exclusiva del Año por parte del Club de Prensa de Londres.

To tylko rock’n’roll (Zawsze The Rolling Stones)

Biographies & Memoirs

Według legendy spotkali się na peronie kolejowym w Dartford. Obaj czekali na pociąg o 8.28 do Londynu. Jagger miał ze sobą płyty, a Richards – gitarę. Tak powstał jeden z najważniejszych zespołów w historii rock and rolla. Mit jest piękny, ale prawdziwa opowieść okazuje się jeszcze ciekawsza – Rich Cohen opowiada o kolejnych dekadach działalności grupy, skupia się jednak na pierwszych wspólnych koncertach i złotym okresie Jaggera i spółki, kiedy nagrali swoje najważniejsze płyty, począwszy od Beggar’s Banquet (1968) do Exile on Main Street (1972).W latach 90. magazyn „Rolling Stone” wysłał Cohena w trasę razem z zespołem. To dało mu dostęp do muzyków, z którymi przez lata nawiązał bliskie relacje. Efektem ich rozmów jest panoramiczna biografia, napisana żywym stylem i z ogromną pasją. Cohen nie stroni też od ujawniania swoich opinii na temat opisywanych zdarzeń. Tak, to książka o seksie, dragach i rock and rollu, ale też o miłości, ambicji, przyjaźni i… satysfakcji. To świeże spojrzenie na wyjątkowy zespół, które odpowiada na pytanie: skąd bierze się długowieczność Stonesów?Nikt nie umiałby opowiedzieć tej historii lepiej niż Cohen… Ta książka dotyka samej istoty rock and rolla.„New York Observer”Fantastyczna! Teksty Cohena rzucają na Stonesów nowe światło.„The Wall Street Journal”Cohen umie pisać o tym, jak muzyka może zmienić świat.„Pitchfork”Mistrzowska! O tym zespole napisano setki książek, ale ta zalicza się do najlepszych.„Chicago Tribune”

QB

Biographies & Memoirs

“Steve Young is a hero of mine. . . His perseverance, intelligence, and, most of all, grace under pressure, NFL-style, make this book a fascinating read.” —Tom BradyIn the most candid and compelling sports memoir since Andre Agassi’s riveting bestseller Open, former San Francisco 49er, Super Bowl champion, NFL MVP, and Hall of Famer Steve Young gives readers an unprecedented and stunning inside look at what it takes to become a super-elite professional quarterback.Steve Young produced some of the most memorable moments in NFL history. But his most impressive victories have been deeply personal ones that were won when no one was watching. His remarkably revealing memoir is the story of a Mormon boy with a 4.0 GPA, a photographic memory, and a severe case of childhood separation anxiety.As an eighth-string quarterback at Brigham Young University, it was doubtful that he would ever see any playing time. But Young became an All-American, finished second in the Heisman voting, and was the top draft choice out of college. Then, after signing the largest contract in sports history, anxiety nearly drove him to walk away from football completely.In short, Young’s quest in life was always about grit. Now, he shares the experience of being inside his helmet while he faces down his toughest adversaries, both on and off the field.“This book is gold.” —Peter King“Intense.” —San Francisco Chronicle“Young’s battles with anxiety make you forget you are reading about a Hall of Famer, and make you root for him at every turn. This is a revealing, honest, compelling book that any fan will enjoy.” —Michael Rosenberg, senior writer, Sports Illustrated

Mis rincones oscuros

Biographies & Memoirs

Las desgarradoras memorias de la investigación de Ellroy sobre el asesinato de su madre.Mis rincones oscuros es el libro más intimista y el reflejo más oscuro del pasado del autor y de una experiencia que marcaría toda su obra.En junio de 1958, James Ellroy tenía diez años cuando recibió la terrible noticia del asesinato de su madre. El cadáver de Geneva Hilliker fue hallado cubierto de hiedra en una cuneta de las afueras de Los Ángeles, estrangulado con una cuerda y unas medias de nylon y con signos evidentes de violación. El caso no se resolvió, pero la brutal muerte marcó para siempre la vida del autor y fue el germen de toda su obra.En 1994, después de publicar el último volumen del «Cuarteto de los Ángeles», Ellroy decidió descubrir la verdad sobre el crimen. Para ello contrató los servicios de un veterano y experimentado «detective» llamado Bill Stoner. A medida que ambos avanzaban en este caso enterrado desde hacía treinta años, Ellroy descubría el misterio que en realidad fue su madre, cuáles fueron sus aspiraciones y por qué decidió salir de un pequeño pueblo de Wisconsin para empezar una nueva vida en Los Ángeles.Mis rincones oscuros relata esta investigación, en una mezcla de crónica negra y memorias confesionales, y se convierte en un libro fascinante que proporciona las claves autobiográficas de sus novelas y, a su vez, en la introducción perfecta a la perturbadora obra de este autor imprescindible de la novela del siglo XX.Críticas: «Un círculo obsesivo que se tensa hasta formar un nudo... amargo, retorcido, introspectivo.»New York Magazine«Una lectura para estómagos y mentes fuertes. No hay ninguna concesión al sentimentalismo. [...] [Ellroy] ha vuelto a elevar la novela negra [...] a la categoría que adquirió con Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler y los que inauguraron el género hacia 1930.» Mariano Antolín Rato, El Mundo«Extraña y perversamente fascinante. Mitad thriller, mitad grito de dolor. [...] Una crónica sincera sobre el hecho de crecer sintiéndose un extraño, bajo la condena del dolor inexpresado.»Newsday«Mis rincones oscuros, de Ellroy, es una obra maestra y todo un ejemplo de lo que Jung llama el oro de la sombra [...] resulta difícil escapar a su presentación como clásico contemporáneo.» Elvira Navarro, entrevista en ABC Cultural«Mis rincones oscuros rompe con las fronteras entre géneros, dando como resultado un clásico singular.»Newsweek

Notes d'une frondeuse

Biographies & Memoirs

BnF collection ebooks - "Cette nuit, sur la plage d'asphalte que dominent mes croisées, des épaves humaines, le père, la mère, et deux petits, avaient échoué sur un banc. Des hauteurs où, bien malgré moi je plane, on ne distinguait rien, qu'un tas de chairs grises et de nippes terreuses d'où émergeaient, par-ci par-la, un bras, une jambe, au mouvement lent et douloureux comme une patte de crabe écrasé..."BnF collection ebooks a pour vocation de faire découvrir en version numérique des textes classiques essentiels dans leur édition la plus remarquable, des perles méconnues de la littérature ou des auteurs souvent injustement oubliés. Tous les genres y sont représentés : morceaux choisis de la littérature, y compris romans policiers, romans noirs mais aussi livres d’histoire, récits de voyage, portraits et mémoires ou sélections pour la jeunesse.

Man, Economy, and Liberty

Biographies & Memoirs

In 1986, a remarkable party was held for Murray Rothbard's 60th birthday, and a Festschrift containing papers (both scholarly and humorous) written in his honor was presented to him. Two, years later, these wonderful essays were released under the title Man, Economy, and Liberty. Sections on Rothbard's influence on the fields of economics, philosophy, political science, and history, and on the lives of those around him contain essays by Dominick T. Armentano, Roger A. Arnold, Walter Block, Gregory Christiansen, Roger W. Garrison, Hans-Hermann Hoppe, Israel Kirzner, Gary North, E.C. Pasour Jr., Ron Paul, Ellen Paul, Leland B. Yeager, Den Uyl, David Gordon, Tibor Machan, Jeffrey Paul, Randall G. Holcombe, David Osterfeld, Arthur A. Ekirch Jr., Ralph Raico, Sheldon Richman, Justus D. Doenecke, Robert Kephart and Dyanne Petersen, Neil McCaffre, JoAnn Rothbard, and Margit von Mises (yes, she was there!). The scholarly pieces will be very useful for economics students, while the charming personal section will be of interest to those interested in a more intimate view of the great economist. Lew Rockwell and Walter Block provide a biographical introduction.

King: Uma vida

Biographies & Memoirs

Um retrato íntimo e nuançado de Martin Luther King Jr., nesta que é mais abrangente biografia já escrita sobre ele.Martin Luther King Jr. é dos "pais fundadores" dos Estados Unidos. Essa ideia, que à primeira vista pode soar excêntrica, ganha consistência — e se torna até tímida — com a leitura desta biografia, fruto de pesquisa exaustiva e baseada em arquivos do FBI só agora liberados pela Casa Branca. Aliás, podemos ir mais longe e ver King como um dos fundadores da própria democracia liberal moderna.Neste livro, Jonathan Eig recusa a narrativa do herói determinado a lutar até a morte por justiça e liberdade e nos mostra King de perto: no recesso do lar, com a família e amigos; na sua intimidade, com suas dúvidas e atribulações mais pessoais; e em perspectiva, contra o pano de fundo de sua atuação política nacional e internacional. Assim, descobrimos que o equilíbrio emocional e a retidão moral projetados por sua figura pública contrastavam com distúrbios psíquicos, vícios mundanos e desvios de conduta na vida privada.Em tempos de acirrada discussão sobre a crise da democracia — e seu possível destino — revisitar a vida de King à luz de suas contradições é exercício instigante, inspirador e, sobretudo, necessário.

The Incest Diary

Biographies & Memoirs

“In the fairy tales about father–daughter incest—‘The Girl Without Hands,’ ‘Thousand Furs,’ the original ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Donkey Skin,’ and the stories of Saint Dymphna, patron saint of incest survivors—the daughters are all as you would expect them to be: horrified by their father’s sexual advances. They do everything in their power to escape. But I didn’t. A child can’t escape. And later, when I could, it was too late.”Throughout her childhood and adolescence, the anonymous author of The Incest Diary was raped by her father. Beneath a veneer of normal family life, she grew up in and around this all-encompassing secret. Her sexual relationship with her father lasted, off and on, into her twenties. It formed her world, and it formed her deepest fears and desires. Even after she broke away—even as she grew into an independent and adventurous young woman—she continued to seek out new versions of the violence, submission, and secrecy she had struggled to leave behind.In this graphic and harrowing memoir, the author revisits her early traumas and their aftermath—not from a clinical distance, but from deep within—to explore the ways in which her father’s abuse shaped her, and still does. As a matter of psychic survival, she became both a sexual object and a detached observer, a dutiful daughter and the protector of a dirty secret. And then, years later, she made herself write it down.With lyric concision, in vignettes of almost unbearable intensity, this writer tells a story that is shocking but that will ring true to many other survivors of abuse. It has never been faced so directly on the page.

His Majesties Declaration Defended

Biographies & Memoirs

This is a biographical book. Wherever English literature is studied, John Dryden is recognized as the author of some of the greatest political satires in the language. Until recently the fact has been overlooked that before he wrote the first of these satires, Absalom and Achitophel, he had entered the political arena with the prose tract here reproduced. The proof that the Historiographer Royal contributed to the anti-Whig propaganda of the spring of 1681 depends partly on contemporary or near-contemporary statements but principally on internal evidence. An article by Professor Roswell G. Ham (The Review of English Studies, XI (1935), 284-98; Hugh Macdonald, John Dryden, A Bibliography, p. 167) demonstrated Dryden's authorship so satisfactorily that it is unnecessary to set forth here the arguments that established this thesis. The time when Dryden was composing his defence of the royal Declaration is approximately fixed from the reference to it on June 22, 1681, in The Observator, which had noted the Whig pamphlet Dryden was answering under the date of May 26.

Histoire de Marie-Antoinette

Biographies & Memoirs

Extraits:Abaissement de la France au milieu du dix-huitième siècle. Politique de l'Angleterre. Traité de Paris. Nouvelle politique française de M. de Choiseul. Alliance de la France avec la maison d'Autriche. Naissance de Marie-Antoinette. Son éducation française. Correspondances diplomatiques et négociations du mariage. Audience solennelle de l'ambassadeur de France. Départ de Vienne de l'archiduchesse Antoinette.

Let's Roll!

Biographies & Memoirs

2003 ECPA Gold Medallion Award winner! Lisa Beamer, wife of September 11 hero Todd Beamer, reveals what really happened on the ill-fated United Flight 93, and shares poignant glimpses of a genuine American hero. She talks candidly about her life with Todd and the devastating day her children learned their daddy had died, the mix of grief and joy when she gave birth to the daughter she was pregnant with at the time, and how she found the confidence to go on in the face of such tragedy and loss.

THE GRACE OF MAHARAJ JI - A Story of Resilience

Biographies & Memoirs

"The Grace of Maharaj Ji" is a moving spiritual memoir that gently guides readers through the pain of loss toward the light of healing and resilience. At the heart of this journey is the profound influence of Neem Karoli Baba, whose presence becomes a source of strength during life's darkest moments.As the author faces deep personal grief amid the uncertainty of a global pandemic, Hindu spirituality offers not just comfort, but a path forward—anchored in devotion, surrender, and inner peace. Through moments of despair and insight, this story reveals how faith can quietly transform suffering into spiritual awakening.Tender, honest, and full of quiet strength, The Grace of Maharaj Ji is more than a memoir—it's an invitation to discover the grace that lives within all of us, even when the world feels heavy.

Elementos secretos

Biographies & Memoirs

Esta é a história incrível de um grupo de matemáticas afro-americanas que, com os seus cálculos, ajudaram a NASA e os EUA em alguns dos acontecimentos mais importantes da corrida espacial.Este livro começa na Segunda Guerra Mundial e desenvolve-se durante a Guerra Fria, o movimento dos direitos civis e da corrida espacial. Elementos Secretos segue a vida de Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson e Christine Darden, quatro mulheres afro-americanas que participaram em vários dos maiores sucessos da NASA. É uma crónica de quase três décadas durante as quais essas mulheres enfrentaram desafios, forjaram alianças e usaram o seu intelecto para mudar as suas próprias vidas e o futuro do seu país.Antes que John Glenn descrevesse uma órbita à volta da terra ou Neil Armstrong caminhasse na lua, um grupo de matemáticas conhecido como os "computadores humanos" calculava, com lápis, réguas e calculadoras simples, equações complicadas que permitiriam lançar os foguetões e os astronautas para o espaço.Entre estas "calculadoras" havia um pequeno grupo excecional de mulheres afro-americanas, especialmente talentosas. Mesmo ali, foram segregadas do resto das mulheres porque a Lei na Virgínia assim o estabelecia. Deste modo, esta equipa ajudou de forma excelente a que os Estados Unidos ganhassem a corrida espacial à URSS durante a Guerra Fria.

Diana

Biographies & Memoirs

La vera storia della principessa Diana, così come lei aveva deciso di raccontarla. Contro un uomo e il suo Regno, per se stessa e il suo popolo. Nella gabbia dorata della sua vita Diana stava soffocando. Circondata da menzogne e inganni, e dal disprezzo dei sovrani d'Inghilterra che giudicavano la sua tristezza solo l'imbarazzante seccatura di una visionaria, la principessa di Galles escogitò un modo per raccontare la sua verità: di nascosto dal marito e dai reali Diana riuscì con ingegnosi sotterfugi a far arrivare i nastri con le sue sconcertanti rivelazioni a uno tra i migliori giornalisti investigativi britannici. Andrew Morton si ritrovò così tra le mani le parole della principessa stessa che, per la prima volta, raccontava la verità dietro la facciata fiabesca in cui tutto il mondo desiderava credere. In questo libro eccezionale Morton pubblica le registrazioni di Diana a lungo segrete, per riconsegnarci il ritratto onesto e scevro da pregiudizi di una delle figure femminili più amate, ammirate e influenti del nostro tempo: un fidanzamento acerbo, un matrimonio pieno di ombre, i disordini alimentari, i tentativi di suicidio, l'indifferenza del futuro re, i sospetti su Camilla che diventavano certezze, la separazione... La vera storia di lady Diana Spencer si conclude in modo tragico e improvviso, ma la sua eredità dura ancora oggi grazie a questo libro: nelle parole di una donna che era diventata principessa, ma desiderava soltanto essere amata.

María Elena Walsh en la casa de Doña Disparate

Biographies & Memoirs

María Elena Walsh en la casa de Doña Disparate resulta una obra única que ilumina rincones inexplorados del alma de dos personalidades insoslayables.Este libro pone de relieve la amistad hasta ahora poco conocida, de dos mujeres esenciales para la cultura argentina: Victoria Ocampo y María Elena Walsh.Entre los documentos que constituyen el corazón de la obra se destaca un epistolario inédito, compuesto por cartas, dedicatorias e invitaciones que revelan, a lo largo de dos décadas (1960-1980), un vínculo cálido y lleno de complicidad, pero también de respeto y admiración mutuos entre estas dos creadoras.Este recorrido tiene otro hito fundamental en las colaboraciones de María Elena Walsh en la mítica revista Sur. Recién salida de la adolescencia, escribe allí sobre la condición femenina, traza un emocionado retrato de Juan Ramón Jiménez o defiende, sin concesiones populistas, el folklore como creación colectiva, casi anónima. A estos artículos se suman los poemas y las reseñas que nos descubren la pluma de una poeta exquisita y de una intelectual comprometida con la literatura y con su tiempo.Con prólogo de Leopoldo Brizuela, admirador de ambas mujeres, y una galería de fotografías bajo la supervisión de Sara Facio, que ofrece desde objetos personales hasta retratos.

Si chiamava Anne Frank

Biographies & Memoirs

Il Diario di Anne Frank, testimonianza dolorosa dell’Olocausto e allo stesso tempo piccolo capolavoro di scrittura, mantiene intatta anno dopo anno la sua popolarità. Pochi sanno però che quel diario, rilegato a scacchi bianchi e rossi e riempito dalla grafia fitta e minuta di una quindicenne, non sarebbe mai arrivato fino a noi se una ragazza olandese di origine austriaca non l’avesse salvato e custodito, con la speranza – purtroppo illusoria – di restituirlo alla sua proprietaria. Quella ragazza si chiamava Miep Gies, e questa è la sua storia: comincia un lunedì mattina del 1933, quando si presenta per un colloquio di lavoro alla ditta Travies & Co. A riceverla è Otto Frank, ebreo tedesco da poco emigrato ad Amsterdam con la moglie Edith e le figlie Margot e Anne per sfuggire alle persecuzioni naziste. Divenuta presto amica di famiglia dei Frank, Miep li aiuta nei loro giorni più difficili: quando nel 1942 i rastrellamenti delle SS rendono ormai impossibile la vita agli ebrei, insieme al marito decide di nascondere la famiglia Frank in un appartamento segreto sopra gli uffici dell’azienda. Per i due anni seguenti sono loro a occuparsi della famiglia di Anne, non solo proteggendoli e sfamandoli ma cercando di rendere la clandestinità un po’ più sopportabile. Testimone privilegiata – oltre che amica e aiutante –, Gies illumina gli eventi minimi ed essenziali della vita dentro il rifugio: come ha scritto Elie Wiesel, «vede tutto, immagina il resto, raccoglie gesti, parole, sguardi» fino al noto, terribile epilogo. Ma la morte di Anne, deportata a Bergen Belsen, non è la fine del racconto: Miep riesce a sottrarre il diario a un sicuro destino di oblio e lo riconsegna a Otto Frank, sopravvissuto al lager, che lo fa pubblicare. Finalmente riproposto in Italia con un’inedita postfazione dell’autrice, Si chiamava Anne Frank ha ispirato film e documentari ed è ormai un classico, un monumento al quieto coraggio delle persone comuni che, come Miep Gies, mettono a rischio la propria vita per aiutare gli altri, senza il bisogno di essere eroi. «Miep Gies è entrata nella storia senza volerlo, rischiando la sua stessa vita per salvare la famiglia di Anne Frank. Il suo esempio valga per tutti.» - Elie Wiesel «La testimonianza più sconvolgente della Shoah» - Corriere della Sera

Avventure galanti del XVIII secolo

Biographies & Memoirs

Nel 1794, decise di scrivere la propria autobiografia: Monsieur Nicolas in otto volumi scaglionati tra il 1794 e il 1797. Nel 1795, la Convenzione di Termidoro gli venne in aiuto versandogli la somma di duemila franchi. Benché le sue dichiarazioni fossero orientate a favore del nuovo potere, le sue amicizie aristocratiche e la sua reputazione lo fecero cadere in disgrazia. Entro al ministero della Polizia, ma la sua cattiva salute lo costrinse a ritirarsi. Mori poco dopo, in miseria.

Gentleman Bandit

Biographies & Memoirs

As seen on Netflix's Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy WarNew York Times bestselling author and award-winning historian John Boessenecker separates fact from fiction in the first new biography in decades of Black Bart, the Wild West’s most mysterious gentleman bandit.Black Bart is widely regarded today as not only the most notorious stage robber of the Old West but also the best behaved. Over his lifetime, Black Bart held up at least twenty-nine stagecoaches in California and Oregon with mild, polite commands, stealing from Wells Fargo and the US mail but never robbing a passenger. Such behavior earned him the title of a true “gentleman bandit.”His real name was Charles E. Boles, and in the public eye, Charles lived quietly as a boulevardier in San Francisco, the wealthiest and most exciting city in the American West. Boles was an educated man who traveled among respectable crowds. Because he did not drink, fight or consort with prostitutes, his true calling as America’s greatest stage robber was never suspected until his final capture in 1883. Sheriffs searched and struggled for years to find him, and newspaper editors had a field day reporting his exploits. Legends and rumors trailed his name until his mysterious death, and his ultimate fate remains one of the greatest mysteries of the Old West.Now historian John Boessenecker sheds new light on Black Bart’s beginnings, reputation and exploits, bringing to life the glittering story of the mysterious stage robber who doubled as a rich, genteel socialite in the golden era of the Wild West.

Monty Python at Work

Biographies & Memoirs

Drawn from his published diaries, this is Michael Palin's account of the making of the Monty Python TV and stage shows, films, books and albums.Monty Python at Work opens on 8th July 1969 with Michael Palin's diary entry for the first day of filming on the very first episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus. The diary entries that follow – up until the opening of their final feature film, The Meaning of Life, in 1983 – chart the tumultuous story of how the now famous shows and films were conceived and brought to life.Palin records the evolution of Monty Python's comic style, the moments of creative inspiration as well as discord, the persistent self-doubt, and the happy accidents that shaped what are now classic comedy moments.He captures too the group's many anarchic exploits (John Cleese in a bikini; driving a Budget Rent-a-Van up Glencoe in full chainmail; filming 'Scott of the Sahara' on the beach at Torquay…), as well as their battles with BBC suits, budget-conscious film producers and self-appointed censors. Thanks to Palin's as-it-happened accounts, we are taken behind the scenes to watch with unrivalled intimacy the creative processes that led to the finished work, seeing how it was actually put together. By distilling everything about the Pythons at work, this edition of Palin's diaries serves as an intimate guide to the legendary shows, films, books and albums. It will delight Python fans everywhere, and be a source of instruction and inspiration to those who seek to follow in their footsteps.'No writer-performer has combined professional hilarity and personal sanity more successfully than Michael Palin. Anyone interested in how comedy happens should hang on his every word.' David Mitchell

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